Kitchen utensil and method of mounting blades



Nov. 5, 1940. J. A. MURDocK 2,220,169

KITCHEN UTENSIL ANL METHOD OF MOUNTING BLADES Filed Nov. 3, 1959 l m Ma,

Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE xrronEN U'rENsIL AND METHOD oF MoUN'rmG nLlinEs James A. Murdock, Chicago, lll. Application November 3, 1939, Serial No. 302,667 '5 claims. (o1. en 305) This invention relates to kitchen utensils having a plurality of blades mounted in one end thereof for slicing elongated vegetables and similar articles, and a partially rotatable blade at the other end thereof for paring and Shredding vegetables. p

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved kitchen utensil of this type which can be cheaply and easily constructed, and

to provide amethod of mounting the multiple blades easily and firmly in the knife in spite of variations in the dimensions of the blades.

A further object is to provide a paring knife of this type in which the partially rotatable blade can be mounted and retained in rotatable relation to the blade handle by means of a single rivet passing through the blade shaft.

Other objects of `the invention will appear in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 isv a Aperspective view of my improved kitchen utensil;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is -a plan view of the kitchen utensil handle about to be assembled about the multiple blade slicer assembly; p

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the kitchen utensil 3'0 assembled land indicating the removal of the excess of the multiple blade mounting band;

Fig. 5 is .a transverse sectional detail of the multiple blade assembly, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

y Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail ofv the multiple blade assembly and the neck of the kitchen utensil, the section being taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an end View of the kitchen utensil showing the manner in which theA paring blade of the kitchen utensil can be swung about its longitudinal axis; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional detail View of the neck of the kitchen utensil, the section being taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the kitchen utensil comprises a handle I0 which may be formed of a strap of metal bent into the form of an elon-` gated loop open at one end, as shown in Fig. 3. The handle is perforated at the closed end with a circular hole Il, designed to serve as a journal for the shaft of the partially rotatable paring blade. The two sidesof the handle are bentinwardly to form the neck I2 near the open end of the handle. Beyond the neck l2 the two sides of the handle extend as free ends 20, formed as shown.

Projecting from the closed end of the handle is an elongated paring blade formed of the shaft I3 and the blade I4. The shaft I3 may be formed 5 integrally with the blade member I4, or, as shown, in two parts, xedly secured together at the inner end of the blade which is formed into a tubular socket I5 to embrace one end of the shaft I3. The socket I5 also serves as a 10 bearing within the journal II, upon which the blade can be rotated.

While the blade I4 has been shown as a cradleshaped slotted blade with the edges of the slot formed into cutting edges, any blade of suitable 15 shape can be used.

The end of the blade shaft I3 not aixed to the blade is flattened and perforated, as shown, in Figs. 2, 4 and 6, to form the ear I6. In the preferred form shown, for convenience of as- 20 sembly. the ear is made sufficiently small as to permit it to pass through the hole II in the end of the handle Ill.

Passing through the handle neck I2 and through the blade shaft ear I6, is a rivet Il, 25 which is peened at both endsV to secure the sides of the handle `III together. The diameter of the rivet, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, is substantially less than the diameter of the perforation in the ear I6, thus permitting the ear to 30 tilt about the rivet as shown in Fig. 8.

At the open end of the handle Ill, beyond 4the neck I2, is mounted a multiple blade slicer I8. The frame of this Slicer iS shown as constructed .of a generally rectangular ferrule I9, 33 formed to be snugly embraced by the free ends 20 of the sides of the handle III. This ferrule is slotted with a plurality of slots 2| cut through both sides, designed -to receive the blades 22 of which the embodiment shown contains four. n.

'While the blades shown have only the upper edge sharpened, it is contemplated that both edges of the blades may be sharpened.

To facilitate assembly, and because of inevitable variations in the dimensions of the a blades employed, the slots 2| are made sufficiently large to furnish clearance for the blades 22. To render the blades stationary after they are mounted in the ferrule I-9, a filler or band 23 of plastic or compressible material which 50 will yield locally under pressure but maintain its form and serve to iix the position of the blades 22 is applied to the side wall of the ferrule I9.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the band l.

23 is i'illustrated as completely encircling the ferrulei I9, and in that form the band is most easily `applied. However its function can be performed by two short ller strips of the proper material run between the sides of the ferrule I9 and the side walls of the handle ends 28 so as to cover the slots 2|.

The band 23 may be made of soft metal, wood, leather, fabric, rubber or various plastic and cementitious materials. It is necessary that this material be compressible or yielding at the time of assembly of the kitchen utensil, although it is immaterial whether it hardens thereafter. In the drawing the band is shown composed of rubber tape, a familiar commercial article made of soft rubber formed into strips which will adhere to surfaces to which it may be applied. If the band employed is used in this form it can be readily applied by running the strip around the ferrule I9 with the blades 22 mounted therein and the ends 24 pinched together to retain the blades 22 in the slicer assembly I8 until the entire kitchen utensil is assembled. The ends 24 also provide a convenient ear for handling the slicer assembly I8'until the article is completed.

Assembly of the kitchen utensil The kitchen utensil in the form shown may be most conveniently assembled in the following manner:

A slicer assembly I8 is made up by inserting the requisite number of blades 22 in the slots 2| of the ferrule I9. 'The plastic band 23 is then` Because of the compressible nature of the band- 23, pressure upon the handle I forces the ends of the blades 22 into the material and fixes` the 4 positions of the respective blades.

Manner of operation.

In use, the kitchen utensil may be held and operated like a paring knife, the elongated blade I4 serving as a swiveled blade. The rivet I'I holds the blade shaft I3 longitudinally, but permits it to rotate, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, about a quarter of a revolution, due to the fact that the hole in the ear I6 is substantially larger in diameter than the rivet I1. The blade is thus permitted to follow the irregular surface of the object being pared.

The slicer I8 may be used to slice elongated objects, such as beans, carrot strips, etc., by forcing the end of the object against the sharp edges Y of the .blades 22 and through the slicer. After the sliced ends of the object project beyond the slicer, they may be grasped and the object drawn through to complete the operation.

Although the invention has been described in connection with specic details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A slicer composed of a handle member, a frame embraced by said handle member, slots in said frame, a plurality of blades passing through said slots, and a compressible strip between said frame and said handle member in contact with said blades.

2. A slicer comprising a handle member, a frame within said handle member, slots in the sides of said frame, a plurality of blades having ends within said slots, a compressible strip compressed between and in contact with the sides of said frame and said handle member.

3. A slicer comprising a handle member, a ferrule gripped by said handle, slots in the sides of said ferrule, blades projecting through said slots, a compressible strip between said ferrule and said handle and in contact with said blades.

4. The method of mounting multiple blades in a slicer, comprising the insertion of said blades in a frame adapted to hold said blades loosely .and to permit the ends of said blades to project from said frame, applying a compressible filler to the sides of the frame and the ends of said blades projecting therefrom, and compressing said filler by clamping a rigid member against the sides of the frame to which the compressible filler has been applied.

5. The method of mounting multiple blades in a slicer, comprising the mounting of said blades in a frame with the ends of said blades held in slots in the sides of the frame, applying a compressible filler to the exterior of the frame, and

JAMES A. MURDOCK.

\ CERTIFICATE or connEcTIo. Patent No. 2,220,169. A November 5, 191;.0.

" JAMES HURDOCK.

It is herebyV certified that errc rle.ppea.r-s` in the printed specification of the' above numberedl patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, first column, line 10, for the words "the multiple read --a plurality of; and 3' that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction .therein 4that the same may conform to the Vrecord of` the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of FebruaryfA. D. 1911.1.

, Henry van Arsdale, (Saal) `Acting.Commissioner of Patents. 

